Fishhook and trotline holder



May 20, 1941. D. cbALsoN FISHHOOK AND TROTLINE HOLDER Filed Nov. '7, 1938 \Dou las Coa/sbn Patented May 2%, 1941 rem 10 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fishhook and trotline holders.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved holder for receiving and supporting the fishhooks attached to a trotline, whereby the hooks are completely enclosed so as to protect said hooks, as well as the person handling the same, from injury; the device also eliminating tangling of the line.

An important object of the inventionis to provide a holder for receiving and supporting the fishhooks of a trotline, wherein the hOOks are supported with their shanks in a substantially vertical position, with means for maintaining the same in such position, whereby the hooks cannot become entangled or pass each other within the holder and also whereby said hooks cannot be disengaged from the holder without removing them in the correct manner.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a holder of the character described, which is constructed so that the hooks cannot be inserted in or removed from the holder with their shanks at any angle except vertical, whereby insertion and removal of the hooks from the holder is simplified and made easy and hanging up of the hooks during such insertion and removal is obviated,

Another object of the invention is to provide a fishhook holder which consists of a hollow casing having one end open and also having a support therein on which the hook may be suspended, the holder also having a guide slot through which the stem or shank of the hook must slide, whereby the shank, as well as the hook is guided in its movement to make insertion of the hookeasy and the removal thereof substantially automatic;

the arrangement also preventing the hooks from becoming entangled or passing each other and also preventing removal of said hooks from any point other than the point of ingress.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved holder of the character described, which may be constructed of a single piece of material, whereby manufacturing costs are materially reduced.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter described, together with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a holder, constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the end opposite that illustrated in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing a slightly modified form of the invention,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 of still another form of the invention,

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the casing cylindrical instead of angular,

Figure '7 is an end elevation of the holder shown in Figure 6,

Figure 8 is a view, similar to Figure 2, illustrating still another form of the invention, and

Figure 9 is an enlarged isometric view of the outer end of the first form of the invention.

In the drawing, the numeral l0 designates an elongate, hollow body or casing which is preferably constructed of light metal, although it may be of any suitable material. In Figures 1 to 3, the casing is shown as substantially square in cross-section and is constructed of a single piece of metal. In forming the body, the material, of which said body is made, is bent upon itself to provide a vertical side wall A, top B, and side wall C. After forming the side wall C, the material is bent at substantially a right angle to provide a bottom D and this bottom terminates short of the opposite side wall A, as is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. The material is then bent upwardly to form a longitudinally, upright hook support H, which extends throughout the length of the casing within the interior thereof, This support may be inclined from the vertical toward the wall 0 or if desired, it could extend vertically. The extreme lower edge portion of the wall A is bent inwardly to form a longitudinal, inwardly extending flange [2. The flange lies in the same horizontal plane as the bottom D and the longitudinal edge of this flange is spaced from the support I I, whereby a longitudinal relatively narrow slot I3 is disposed in the bottom of the casing It. Manifestly, the slot is contiguous or adjacent the upright hook support ll.

One end of the casing or body ill is closed by an end wall l8, which wall may be integral with the body or may be a separate piece suitably secured thereto. The end wall abuts the edges of the side walls, top and bottom of the casing, as well as the edges of the support H and flange l2. The opposite end of the casing is open to permit insertion of the fishhooks, as Will be eX- plained, and the end portions of the support I I and flange l2 are bevelled or cut away, as shown at [4 to facilitate the insertion of said hooks into the casing (Figure 9). A suitable handle I5 is secured to the top B of the casing, whereby said casing may be readily carried.

As is well known, a trotline It has fishhooks I! secured thereto at spaced points throughout the length thereof and difiiculty has been experienced in handling such line without tangling the line and hooks carried thereby. By mounting the hooks within the casing in, said hooks may be supported in their proper relation and danger of said hooks or line becoming entangled is obviated. Also the holder facilitates setting of said line.

In inserting a fishhook I1 within the'holder, said hooks are moved inwardly through the open 'end of the casing H], with the curved portion ll of the hook engaging over the upper edge of the longitudinal support I I. This disposes the lower portion of the shank l'ia in alinement with the longitudinal slot l3 in the bottom of the casing, whereby when the hook is moved inwardly of the casing the shank enters said slot. In {thisv manner, the curved portion of the hook is riding or sliding along the top of the support H, whereby 1" it is guided therealong, while the shank of said hook is guidedby the slot 13. Thus, the hookis maintained in substantially an upright position and its movement along the support is made easy,

whereby hanging up of said hook, due .to its turning within the support, is impossible.

The slot I3 is relatively narrow being only sufiiciently wide to permit free movement of the hook shanks therethrough. It is not wide enough to allowthe shank of one hook to pass another 11 i and thus each hook is maintained in its proper position with relation to the other hooks on the line. This prevents the hooks from becoming tangle'dwith each other and thereby eliminates tangling of the line I6. Since the hooks I! are .positivelyguided at their shanks as well as-at their curved portions, movement of the hooks along the support is smooth and it has been found that-the hooks may be inserted or removed by merely tilting the casing, whichmake the action substantially automatic.

It is not essential that the hook support l I-be inclined from the vertical and in Figure 4, said suppont is shown as extending substantially ver 'tically withinthe casing. When extended vertically, it is desirable that-the support be spaced inwardly of the slot 13 and for this-purpose an offset l|-is formed at the base of the support. -By offsetting the support, the upper edge of-said support-is suificiently spaced from the wall-A to accommodate the curved portion ll of the hook 41. Obviously, the hooks are insertedand re- -move'din .the same manner as described.

Although it is desirable that the support ll be integral with the casing liL it could be made separate therefrom. In such event, the support Ila, as shown in FigureS, has its lower edge -position-so1dered,-or otherwise secured, to the bottom of said casing.

In Figures 6 and '7, the casing isshown as "tubular incross-section,.-being constructedin the same manner as the form shown in Figure 1. The upper edgeportion of the support-H is-illustrated as bent inwardly at substantially a rightangle to provide a flange l lb on which the .;curved portion of the hook I1 may slide. This -fiange may, if desired beprovided on the supports of the other -modifications disclosed in Figures 1 tot. Itmay bedesirable insome instances-Ito provide adoublesupport with-in the casing and such construction is shown in Figure 8. The casing is constructed in substantially the same manner as the form shown in Figure 1, with the exception that the slot I3 is located centrally of the bottom of said casing. Instead of the single support II, a pair of supports Hc extend upwardly on each side of the slot and as illustrated, said supports are integral with the bottom, although they may be separate members suitably fastened in position. In this modification, it is manifest that the shank of the hook is guided through the slot I3 and the hook or curved portion may be engaged over either one of the supports.

. immediately adjacent said side wall, provided that theshape of the hook is such as to permit its insertion and :removal in the manner described.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made,

within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1..A trotline holder including, a casing having one end open, a pair of upright supports spaced .from each other within the casing, each support beingarranged to receive the curved portion of .a fishhook whereby said hook is suspended from the support, and means for confining and guid- .ing the shank of the hook when so suspended.

2. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having alongitudinal slot in the bottom, a longitudinal hook support within the casing adjacent the slotfwhereby said slot accommodates theshank of a hook when the same is suspended from the support, and an arcuate flange on which .1 the curved portion of a hook may slide formed on the upper edge portion of said support.

3. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal SlOlt, in its bottom, and

-a longitudinal hook support within the casing adjacent :the slot, whereby said slot accommodatestheshank of a hook when the same is suspendedfrom the support, the outer end portions of saidsupport and of the casing adjacent the slot beingbeveled to facilitate the insertion of a hook into said 510th and casing.

4. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, and a longitudinal hook support within the casing havingits lower end adjacent [the slot, the sup- 'portbe'ing'disposed in a plane at an acute angle to'the bottom of'the casingand being inclined away from'and'toone side of the vertical plane 'in Which said slot'is disposed, the 8101i accommodating the shank of a hook when the same is suspended" from the support.

0 5. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, a

longitudinal hook support within the casing havaway from andto one sideof the vertical plane -1n-which-saidslot-is'disposed, one end of the casing bein OPBIL'WhBIGbY fishhooks may be inserted within said casing, each hook'ha'ving its curved portion engaging over and slidable along the support with its shank extending through the slot, whereby the hooks are positively guided in their longitudinal movement within the casing, the slot being of such width that the shanks of adjacent hooks cannot pass each other within said slot, thereby preventing the hooks from becoming entangled with each other.

6. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, and a longitudinal hook support within the casing having its lower end adjacent the slot, the support being disposed in a plane at an acute angle to the bottom of the casing and being inclined away from and to one side of the vertical plane in which said slot is disposed, the slot accommodating the shanks of hooks suspended from the support and being of such width that the shanks of adjacent hooks cannot pass each other within said slot, thereby preventing said hooks from becoming entangled with each other.

7. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom portion, and a longitudinal hook support within the casing having its lower end adjacent the slot, the support being inclined to one side of the slot, whereby the upper edge portion of said support lies outside of the vertical plane in which said slot is disposed, the support being arranged to receive the curved portion of a fishhook, whereby the hook is suspended from said support in a substantially upright position and the barb and point of the hook are spaced away from the support.

8. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom portion, and a longitudinal hook support within the casing having its lower end adjacent the slot, said slot accommodating the shank of a hook when the same is suspended from the support, said support being disposed in a plane at an acute angl to the bottom portion of the casing, the plane of the support being inclined away from a vertical plane passing through the slot so that the barb and point of the hook will be held away from said support.

9. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, a longitudinal hook support within the casing having its lower end adjacent the slot, the support being disposed in a plane at an acute angle to the bottom of the casing and being inclined away from and to one side of the vertical plane in which said slot is disposed, and an arcuate flange on which the curved portion of a hook may slide provided on the upper edge portion of said support.

10. A trotline holder including, an elongate casing having a longitudinal slot in its bottom, a longitudinal hook support within the casing having its lower end adjacent the slot, the support being disposed in a plane at an acute angle to the bottom of the casing and being inclined away from and to one side of the vertical plane in which said slot is disposed. the outer end portions of said support and of the casing adjacent the slot being bevelled to facilitate the insertion of a hook into said slot and casing.

DOUGLAS COALSON. 

